One of wonders of Tainan is how no matter what alley you walk down, you'll run into a temple. One day, I cut down an alley about a block away from the City God Temple and came across a mysterious (to me) little temple. Dedicated to Gu Fuma (辜婦媽) - Mother Gu, statues of three…Read more Tainan local women, Taiwan local religion (1)
Religion
The end of Chinese religion?
After two weeks in Beijing in 2012, I finally realized why I felt the city seemed so lifeless, even as it teemed with millions of people and their very real, full lives. Where were the temples? Where were the markers of a neighborhood like Tudi Gong shrines? Where were the folding tables full of offerings…Read more The end of Chinese religion?
A people and their stories
I'm on my second time through Boxers & Saints and still bowled over by how good it is. A modified version of the tale of Princess Miaoshan, which existed most popularly in the form of a baojuan, interrupts the plot of Boxers with a moment of peace and hope before the final battle. That enough…Read more A people and their stories
Far From Formosa 